Dear Sir/Madam,

through your pages can I express my gratitude on behalf of Self Help Africa to all of our friends and supporters in your readership area for their generous support in the past year.

Self Help Africa’s work amongst some of Africa’s poorest people is only possible thanks to the kindness and generosity of people at home here in Ireland.

I spoke to a grandmother in Malawi recently who had put a new roof on her home, had paid the school fees for her grandchildren, and had recently bought a passport to allow her son to go to South Africa to find work. All this was made possible, she told me, because the vegetable garden she had developed with support from Self Help Africa had allowed her to earn more than ever before.

The story that 60-year-old Nelisa told me could be recounted by tens of thousands of others right across Africa. Stories of how people are helping themselves– with just a little support from Self Help Africa, and from our generous supporters here in Ireland.

This year, I would ask your readers in your area to think of Nelisa, and of how a little bit of help had made such a big difference to her life.

Again, on behalf of all at Self Help Africa I can only say a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to the many people in The Avondhu area who made this a happy Christmas for Nelisa, and for so many others.

Yours sincerely,

Ronan Scully,

Self Help Africa.

www.selfhelpafrica.org